1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to golf equipment and, more particularly, to a practice putting device adapted for use with a golf putter club to enable the user to develop a proper putting stroke which keeps the blade of the putter club perpendicular to the path of the stroke through the putting stroke so that the struck golf ball travels on its intended path toward the golf cup.
2. Description of Related Art
Golf is an extremely difficult game to play because it requires hand, eye, and body coordination as well as the mental capabilities to swing a golf club to hit a golf ball accurately toward an intended target.
While seemingly simple, one of the most difficult shots in the game of golf is that of putting. The object of the putting stroke is to direct the ball by striking the ball with the blade of the putter club so that the ball travels in the intended line toward the golf cup. This requires that the blade of the putter be precisely transverse to the intended path of the ball and that the blade of the putter be maintained in this proper transverse orientation throughout the putting stroke.
A number of patents have been granted directed to golf putting training devices to help the golfer improve the putting stroke. U.S. Pat. No. 2,776,836 to Zadina shows a putting guide consisting of a carriage 14 which holds the putter shaft and two support arms 78 in a Y-shape to rotatably secure spherical rollers 82 at the end of the support arms. A flat plate is positioned and the wheels of the carriage placed against the plate. When the putter 16 is moved longitudinally on the plate surface, it engages the golf ball and the putter is moved by the wheels in a straight line along the surface of the plate.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,026,066 to Kane shows a putting guide using a flat surface which is secured between a golfer""s legs. The guide clamp 32 secures a putter shaft 42 and carries rollers at the periphery of the Y-shaped clamp. In use, the putter shaft is secured by the guide clamp, the roller is positioned against the flat surface 12 and the rollers 36 are moved along the face of the flat surface when the putter is moved providing a straight stroke.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,723,858 Chizewski shows a putter shaft 16 clamped to a V-shaped guide wheel 17. The wheel when placed on rod 13 keeps the club head straight during the putting stroke. A similar device is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 3,132,865 to Parker. U.S. Pat. No. 3,471,155 to Donaldson shows a golf training device using a carriage 11 having wheels 35. The device moves along in a base plate 16 which keeps the putter straight during the putting stroke. U.S. Pat. No. 4,700,949 to Nottoli shows the use of a trolley 11 which rolls on wheels engaged with a rail 10. The putter 34 is attached to the trolley and moves straight along the rail during the putting stroke.
There is still a need however for practice putting devices which are adapted for use with a golf putter club for guiding the blade of the club on a straight line throughout the putting stroke.
Bearing in mind the problems and deficiencies of the prior art, it is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a practice putting device adapted for use with a golf putter club having a putter blade, a shaft and a handle, for guiding the blade of the club on a straight line throughout the putting stroke.
Still other objects and advantages of the invention will in part be obvious and will in part be apparent from the specification.
The above and other objects and advantages, which will be apparent to those skilled in art, are achieved in the present invention which is directed to, in a first aspect, a practice putting training device adapted for use with a golf putter club having a putter blade, a shaft and a handle or grip, for guiding the club on a straight line throughout the putting stroke comprising:
clamp means for holding the shaft of a putter club;
a carriage having first and second arms which carriage is horizontally pivotally mounted to the clamp so that the arms move in an upward and downward arc; and
an elongated planar board;
wherein the elongated planar surface of the board is vertically disposed on a putting surface, the golf putter club shaft is secured in the clamping means and the vertical position of the arms adjusted so that the ends of the arms are substantially transverse to the surface of the board;
whereby the putter blade is maintained transverse to a desired path a golf ball is to travel on the putting surface as the putter blade is moved back and forth with the ends of the arms in contact with the surface of the board during the putting stroke and as the blade strikes the ball.
In another aspect of the invention a practice putting training device adapted for use with a golf putter club having a putter blade, shaft and a handle, for guiding the club on a straight line throughout the putting stroke is provided comprising:
a first clamping means comprising an elongated body having an upper concave portion and an upper convex raised portion with a longitudinal pivot pin opening in the raised portion, the lower surface of the clamping means having an indent opening and bores on each side of the indent for securing a second clamping means thereto;
a second clamping means comprising a flat plate having two through openings therein in registration with the bores, which second clamping means is secured to the first clamping means by fasteners extending through the openings in the flat plate into the bores in the first clamping means;
a U-shaped guide means comprising an elongate base having a concave portion and a raised convex portion with a longitudinal pivot pin opening in the raised portion and a first arm and a second arm extending outward from the base; and
an elongated planar board;
wherein the convex raised portion of the first clamping means mates with the concave portion of the guide means and the concave portion of the first clamping means mates with the raised convex portion of the guide means whereby the first and second arms are moveable up and down in an arc relative to the first clamping means by a pivot pin inserted in the pivot pin openings of the first clamping means and guide means and the shaft of the putter is secured in the indent by securing the second clamping means to the first clamping means;
whereby the putter blade is maintained transverse to a desired path a golf ball is to travel on a putting surface as the putter blade is moved back and forth with the ends of the arms in contact with the surface of the board during the putting stroke and as the blade strikes the ball.
In another aspect of the invention the practice putting training device is made of plastic or metal which has a low coefficient of friction vis-à-vis the elongated planar board along which the device is moved during the putting stroke.
In another aspect of the invention the ends of the arms are rounded to further decrease the friction between the arms of the device and the planar board enhancing the use of the device during the practice putting stroke.